Protective Effect Of Diosgenin On Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Nephropathy In Experimental Rats

Diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial metabolic disorder associated with the diabetes related vascular diseases. Oxidative stress along with inflammation is the Key factor leading to diabetic complications. Present study was designed to investigate the protective role of diosgenin, a steroidal saponin, in diabetes induced early kidney injury and oxidative stress markers and histopathological changes in kidney of diabetic rats, induced by single intra-peritoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg weight (b.w.). After 72 hrs, experimental rats received diosgenin at different doses (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg b.w.) once daily for four weeks. At the end of the experiment, diabetic rats showed a significant increase in the levels of plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin with a significant decrease in insulin and total hemoglobin. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, and the levels of reduced glutathione were decreased while increases in the levels of lipid peroxidation markers were observed in kidney tissues of diabetic rats. Oral administration of diosgenin to diabetic rats considerably shrivelled the plasma glucose and exaggerated the endocrine level supported a dose dependent manner. Diosgenin at a dose of 40 mg/kg b.w. was more pronounced effect than the other two doses and used for further studies. All the manifestations observed in diabetic rats were significantly reversed to near normal at a dose of 40 mg/kg b.w. of diosgenin. These findings recommend that diosgenin may have a helpful role against excretory organ harm evoked by aerobic stress within the diabetic state.

Mechanistic Investigation On Anti-Nociceptive Potential Of Bartogenic Acid Containing Barringtonia Racemosa Fraction In Experimental Models Of Pain

Barringtonia racemosa (B. racemosa) is a tropical medicinal plant possessing interesting biological activities. B. racemosa fruits are traditionally used in India for the treatment of pain, inflammation, and rheumatic conditions. Earlier, we have reported anti-inflammatory activity of ethyl acetate fraction (BREAF) obtained from B. racemosa fruits in animal models of inflammation and delayed-type hypersensitivity. The present study aimed to assess the anti-nociceptive activity of BREAF. Acetic acid-induced writhing test, and hot plate and tail immersion tests were employed to study the effect of BREAF on peripheral and central pain mechanisms, respectively. The involvement of opioid system was confirmed through naloxone antagonism. Formalin induced pain test was performed to assess the effect of BREAF on neurogenic and inflammatory pain components. Capsaicin induced pain models were used to investigate the involvement of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 receptor. The BREAF reduced writhing episodes and delayed the onset of acetic acid-induced writhings. The raised percentage maximum protective effects by BREAF in hot plate and tail immersion tests suggest the efficacy of BREAF in pain alleviation. A reversal of the analgesic effect of BREAF following naloxone treatment indicates the involvement of opioid receptors. The BREAF also inhibited inflammatory and neurogenic components of formalin-induced pain. The inhibition of capasaicin induced pain to some extent by the BREAF indicates the possibility of involvement of TRPV1 receptors. This study reinforces the traditional use of B. racemosa in the treatment of painful conditions. However, further studies are reasonable to explore the detailed mechanism(s) of the anti-nociceptive action of BREAF.

Selective High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Amodiaquine and Artesunate in bulk and pharmaceutical formulation.

Aim of the study was to develop a new selective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the quantification of amodiaquine and artesunate in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage form. The HPLC analysis was performed on the LCGC Qualisil C 8 (5 m, 250 mm  4.6 mm i.d.) column in isocratic mode, at 300C temperature using a mobile phase consisting of Acetonitrile: phosphate buffer (70:30, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8 ml/min. The detection was carried out at 254nm for amodiaquine and 221nm for artesunate. The retention time for AMQ and ART were found to be 2.8 min. and 5.6 min. respectively. The method was validated for precision, recovery, robustness, specificity, and detection and quantification limits, in accordance with International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. Linearity was observed in the concentration range from 2-12 μg/ml (r2=0.998) for AMQ and for ART 0.2-1.2 mg/ml (r2=0.998). The limit of detection and quantification of AMQ were 0.07 μg/ml and 0.21 μg/ml respectively. While for ART it was 0.044 mg/ml and 0.133 mg/ml, respectively. The method has been successively applied for the determination of AMQ and ART in tablets. There was no interference from the excipients commonly present in the tablets. The drug content was found to be 100.83 % for AMQ and 98.63 for ART. Accuracy of the method was studied by the recovery studies at three different levels 80 %, 100 % and 120 %. The % recovery was found to be within the limits of the acceptance criteria with average recovery of 98.55–101.46% for AMQ and 99.48–101.60% for ART. The % RSD below 2.0 shows the high precision of proposed method. The above method was a rapid and cost-effective quality-control tool for routine analysis of amodiaquine and artesunate in bulk and in pharmaceutical dosage form.

Reversal of CRF- and stress-induced anorexia by an ayurvedic formulation

Trikatu churna is one of the commonly used Ayurvedic formulations in the traditional system of medicine in India for the treatment of agnimandya, i.e. anorexia. Trikatu contains equal amounts of finely powdered rhizomes of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) and fruits of Piper longum L. and Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae). The chief objective of the study was to determine the antianorectic effects of three drugs individually and to compare these effects with the effect of Trikatu. The activity of the drugs was studied after anorexia was induced in rats by (1) physical stress arising from immobilization for 60 min; (2) intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 μg/kg body weight); and (3) intraperitoneal administration of fluoxetine (8 mg/kg body weight). Similar doses of the extracts were tested on freely feeding rats and on rats that had been deprived of food for 20 h. Corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF, 0.3 μg/rat) can induce anxiogenic-like behavior and reduced food intake. This model was also studied, and the results were compared. The components of Trikatu churna failed to individually reverse the inhibition of feeding. In contrast, Trikatu churna pretreatment reversed stress-, fluoxetine- and CRF-induced anorexia. The study provides strong evidence of the synergistic action of Ayurvedic formulas and also proves the ability of Trikatu churna to reduce stress and CRF-induced anorexia.

Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Caesalpinia pulcherrima wood.

Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the methanolic and aqueous extracts of Caesalpinia pulcherrima wood were studied in in vitro models. Both extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity, as evidenced by the low IC50 values in both 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide and superoxide scavenging methods; the values were found to be less or comparable to those of gallic acid, the standard used. To determine the cytotoxic activity, extracts were tested for toxic effects to brine shrimp larvae. In this assay, the methanolic extract had little effect, but aqueous extract was relatively toxic. The antioxidant and cytotoxic activities may be attributed to the total phenolic content in the wood.